Prison Fellowship Angel Tree sports camp provides the opportunity of a lifetime: for children to meet the Dallas Cowboys and learn from the team on their home field.
“When the young kids see our players, they think of kids as other-worldly beings,” said Dallas Cowboys Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel. “Then, it’s an opportunity to see that a Dallas Cowboys football player is a regular young man.”
Fassel hosts the camp, which serves over 200 children ages 7 to 14 at The Star in Frisco. It is free and aimed at children with at least one currently or previously incarcerated parent.
The camp’s purpose is to teach kids that, regardless of their circumstances, their potential can never be confined.
Nahshon Wright, Cowboys defensive cornerback, can relate to the youngsters who attend.
“My biggest message for you guys would be, don’t let your situation now define you,” said Wright. “I grew up like a lot of you guys in a single-parent home. My father was in and out of jail.”
Wright shared that when he was younger, he participated in camps similar to Angel Tree’s, so he is happy to provide much-needed examples of success in spite of adversity.
The Cowboys are known for giving back to the community through various programs and foundations.
Among these endeavors, the Dallas Cowboys have collaborated with the NFL since 2007 to promote PLAY 60, a national youth health and wellness initiative encouraging children to eat healthily and exercise for at least 60 minutes daily.
Additionally, the Cowboys organized Cowboys U, which has concluded the team’s off-season workouts since 2012 under the guidance of head coach Jason Garrett.
Nearly 200 high school football players from more than 42 North Texas schools are chosen by their coaches to participate in Cowboys U. The program lets students spend a day learning from Cowboys players and join in a 7-on-7 tournament that concludes in a Super Bowl championship.
